The SaaS windowof opportunity

www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/3764110233

How do you get there?

www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/480909743

Create a GTM Blueprint

Rethink your business

Identify barriers to entry

www.flickr.com/photos/myklroventine/480909595

The Brain

Change your thinking

www.flickr.com/photos/oriol_gascon/2172565951

8

1. Limiting beliefs

2. Constraint-based thinking

www.flickr.com/photos/talllguy/878668889

www.flickr.com/photos/64958688@N00/4350674487

Playful thinking

www.flickr.com/photos/toekneesan/3847444842

Recognise the past

www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/3554139099

13

Focus on the future

3 Time Horizons:

Paint a compelling picture

www.flickr.com/photos/marcosreis07/2673223028

Create a Value Innovation Curve

Target key customer groups

www.flickr.com/photos/superzelle/4608034587

18

Buyer Personas

Messaging and positioning

Mural’s 8 Key Success Factors

SaaS GTM Key Success Factors

Level

Competitive

Differentiation Messaging & Positioning Packaging & Pricing Web-Driven Demand Generation

Online Customer

Experience

Direct/Indirect Sales

Process

Organizational

Effectiveness Focus & Behavior

5

(Optimized)

Provider has created true Blue

Ocean (aka uncontested market

space) by differentiating along a

unique axis that reaches beyond

current market boundaries and

existing demand

Vertical (e.g. Real Estate),

Horizontal specialization (e.g.

Finance), or other micro-market

specific positioning. User focus

groups or surveys are pro-actively

used to incorporate customer

feedback into product life-cycle.

Micro-market specific

packaging/bundling of service

with vertically focused add-ons.

Market research used to

understand customer price-point

sensitivities.

Micro-market sales sites for

specific vertical markets (e.g. real-

estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO

and pro-active analysis of web-

analytics

Micro-market specific demand

generation campaigns with

integration across all forms of

demand generation (e.g. PPC,

Banner Ads, email, direct mail,

print)

Integrated up-sell and cross-sell

activities into customer "control

panel". Pro-active and ongoing

customer feedback management

(surveys of customer panels by

segment to assess overall

customer experience, satisfaction,

and future needs).

Vertical or micro-market focused

channel partners with lead flow

integrated into micro-marketing

campaigns. Channel partner

branded sales sites. Integration of

channel partner into knowledge

base, live chat, etc.

Organization is designed and

internally aligned for change.

Specific processes for continuous

improvement. Healthy balance of

management (stability) and

leadership (fostering change).

Target Market

Focused w/

Continuous

Improvement

4

(Competitive)

Provider has differentiated with a

vertical market focus with vertical

(or micro-market) specific add-on

capabilities/features.

Best Practice positioning based

on a well-defined messaging &

position framework (see

template). Customer centric

positioning that blends customer-

benefit as the solution for the

customer pain point/problem.

Some type of unique

differentiation of packaging or

pricing that sets the provider apart

of the reset of the pack.

Differentiated sub-sites and/or

landing pages aligned with best-

practice positioning of value

proposition according to

messaging & positioning

framework

Demand generation campaigns

drive to a specific sub-site or

landing page. All campaign

activities are well coordinated and

integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO

campaign management with

periodic (e.g. bi-weekly)

refinement.

Integrated online knowledge-base

and live-chat for both sales

support and post-sales support.

Pro-active email communication

during first 30-60 days provides

training, tips, tricks, etc.

Integrated lead/opportunity flow

for channel partners. Mature

process for lead qualification and

routing of leads. Customer

segmentation and qualification

"drives" the opportunity

management. Willing to "walk

away" from bad opportunities.

Strong executive sponsorship for

improving existing offerings and

adding new value-added service

offerings. Proven organizational

agility and rapid time-to-market in

response to competitive threats.

Transition Phase -

Focused on

Competitive

Differentiation &

Discrete

Improvements

3

(Predictable)

Provider has differentiated from

the competition by bundling

additional services or capabilities

not offered by the competition.

Customer centric positioning with

Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere

access), then supporting benefits

points, then features as

appropriate. Consistent

application of messaging

throughout ALL collateral.

Small number (2-3) of different

customer/user "plans" that align

correctly with end-user or

customer personas. Value

differentiation between different

price plans is clear and

significant.

Best-practice site that allows

customers to 1) Search; 2) Find;

3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial

where possible); 5) Make the

buying decision; 6) Buy; 7)

Activate. Web-site is the focal

point of the business.

Makes use of pro-active

PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand

generation activities lead to one

place -- the web-site.

Self-guided sales experience,

self-admin capabilities, no barriers

to sale via web, or phone. Easy

signup and activation.

Pro-active management of direct

sales, inside sales, and channel

partners. Focus on customer

segmentation and lead

qualification. Pro-active training.

Overlay sales team with deep

solution expertise supports all

channels.

Organizational alignment around

business objectives and customer

needs. Organizational ability to

repeatedly follow a relatively short

and defined life-cycle for the

successful introduction of new or

revised product offerings.

End-Customer

Focused &

Service-Driven

2

(Inhibited)

Provider's offering is functionaly

equivalent to that of other

providers, resulting in a "my

feature X beats your feature X"

competitive differentiation tactic,

but ultimately resulting in a price-

competitive sale.

Still product and feature centric

positioning with progress towards

customer-centric benefits

positioning. Typically a lack of

consistent application of

messaging across all channels

and collateral.

Competitive pricing and correct

packaging, but actively working to

eliminate other inhibitors (e.g.

contract minimums).

Customers can search, find, and

buy. Provider is actively working

to ensure that all of the

information required to make a

successful buying decision is on

the site and correctly presented,

eliminating any final inhibitors to

selling.

PPC/SEO and other demand

generation capabilities are

leveraged, but with some

inhibiting factors that limit their

effectiveness (e.g. mismatch

between PPC terms and landing

page positioning). Active progress

is being made to eliminate

remaining inhibitors.

Self-guided signup, support,

and/or self-administration but

inhibited in some way -- e.g.

overly complex registration

process, complex activation.

Active progress is being made to

eliminate remaining inhibitors.

Direct Sales, indirect channels,

telesales, but with ineffective

processes for lead qualification

and routing of leads to "best

qualified" channel. Provider is

actively working to train sales and

revise processes to improve

effectiveness.

Good executive leadership in

place and committed to drive

change and improve business

performance by driving

improvements in accordance with

the "key success factors". Transition Phase -

Focused on Initial

Change

1

(Ineffective)

Provider is offering the exact

same service offering as other

providers (perhaps based on

third-party technologies) with no

opportunity for true differentiation,

resulting in a Red Ocean in which

the only remaining competetive

differentiator is price.

Positioning is completely product

and feature centric. Positioning is

effective only for customers who

already know what they need and

are already familiar with the

specific application domain.

Typically characterized by

uncompetitive pricing, minimum

contract terms, minimum # of

users, confusing pricing, too many

tiers of service, multiple tiers

instead of "add-on" options.

Customers are unable to find

offering, presentation is confusing,

no online self-subscription is

available.

No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other

demand generation activities (e.g.

Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not

leverage the web-site.

No self-signup capability, direct

sales interaction required. No

offering self-administration.

Direct sales only. No pro-active

lead qualification. No customer

segmentation by size or industry.

Characterized by tendancy to

focus too far up-market. Long

sales cycles. Lack of "solution

specialist" capability results in

inability to overcome common

objections.

Ad-hoc organizational and

departmental behaviors with a

lack of internal alignment towards

achieving a common vision or

business objectives.Product-

Dependent Focus

& Ad-Hoc Behavior

The Mural KSF’s in Action

Level

Competitive

Differentiation Messaging & Positioning Packaging & Pricing Web-Driven Demand Generation

Online Customer

Experience

Direct/Indirect Sales

Process

Organizational

Effectiveness Focus & Behavior

5

(Optimized)

Provider has created true Blue

Ocean (aka uncontested market

space) by differentiating along a

unique axis that reaches beyond

current market boundaries and

existing demand

Vertical (e.g. Real Estate),

Horizontal specialization (e.g.

Finance), or other micro-market

specific positioning. User focus

groups or surveys are pro-actively

used to incorporate customer

feedback into product life-cycle.

Micro-market specific

packaging/bundling of service

with vertically focused add-ons.

Market research used to

understand customer price-point

sensitivities.

Micro-market sales sites for

specific vertical markets (e.g. real-

estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO

and pro-active analysis of web-

analytics

Micro-market specific demand

generation campaigns with

integration across all forms of

demand generation (e.g. PPC,

Banner Ads, email, direct mail,

print)

Integrated up-sell and cross-sell

activities into customer "control

panel". Pro-active and ongoing

customer feedback management

(surveys of customer panels by

segment to assess overall

customer experience, satisfaction,

and future needs).

Vertical or micro-market focused

channel partners with lead flow

integrated into micro-marketing

campaigns. Channel partner

branded sales sites. Integration of

channel partner into knowledge

base, live chat, etc.

Organization is designed and

internally aligned for change.

Specific processes for continuous

improvement. Healthy balance of

management (stability) and

leadership (fostering change).

Target Market

Focused w/

Continuous

Improvement

4

(Competitive)

Provider has differentiated with a

vertical market focus with vertical

(or micro-market) specific add-on

capabilities/features.

Best Practice positioning based

on a well-defined messaging &

position framework (see

template). Customer centric

positioning that blends customer-

benefit as the solution for the

customer pain point/problem.

Some type of unique

differentiation of packaging or

pricing that sets the provider apart

of the reset of the pack.

Differentiated sub-sites and/or

landing pages aligned with best-

practice positioning of value

proposition according to

messaging & positioning

framework

Demand generation campaigns

drive to a specific sub-site or

landing page. All campaign

activities are well coordinated and

integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO

campaign management with

periodic (e.g. bi-weekly)

refinement.

Integrated online knowledge-base

and live-chat for both sales

support and post-sales support.

Pro-active email communication

during first 30-60 days provides

training, tips, tricks, etc.

Integrated lead/opportunity flow

for channel partners. Mature

process for lead qualification and

routing of leads. Customer

segmentation and qualification

"drives" the opportunity

management. Willing to "walk

away" from bad opportunities.

Strong executive sponsorship for

improving existing offerings and

adding new value-added service

offerings. Proven organizational

agility and rapid time-to-market in

response to competitive threats.

Transition Phase -

Focused on

Competitive

Differentiation &

Discrete

Improvements

3

(Predictable)

Provider has differentiated from

the competition by bundling

additional services or capabilities

not offered by the competition.

Customer centric positioning with

Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere

access), then supporting benefits

points, then features as

appropriate. Consistent

application of messaging

throughout ALL collateral.

Small number (2-3) of different

customer/user "plans" that align

correctly with end-user or

customer personas. Value

differentiation between different

price plans is clear and

significant.

Best-practice site that allows

customers to 1) Search; 2) Find;

3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial

where possible); 5) Make the

buying decision; 6) Buy; 7)

Activate. Web-site is the focal

point of the business.

Makes use of pro-active

PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand

generation activities lead to one

place -- the web-site.

Self-guided sales experience, self-

admin capabilities, no barriers to

sale via web, or phone. Easy

signup and activation.

Pro-active management of direct

sales, inside sales, and channel

partners. Focus on customer

segmentation and lead

qualification. Pro-active training.

Overlay sales team with deep

solution expertise supports all

channels.

Organizational alignment around

business objectives and customer

needs. Organizational ability to

repeatedly follow a relatively short

and defined life-cycle for the

successful introduction of new or

revised product offerings.

End-Customer

Focused & Service-

Driven

2

(Inhibited)

Provider's offering is functionaly

equivalent to that of other

providers, resulting in a "my

feature X beats your feature X"

competitive differentiation tactic,

but ultimately resulting in a price-

competitive sale.

Still product and feature centric

positioning with progress towards

customer-centric benefits

positioning. Typically a lack of

consistent application of

messaging across all channels

and collateral.

Competitive pricing and correct

packaging, but actively working to

eliminate other inhibitors (e.g.

contract minimums).

Customers can search, find, and

buy. Provider is actively working

to ensure that all of the

information required to make a

successful buying decision is on

the site and correctly presented,

eliminating any final inhibitors to

selling.

PPC/SEO and other demand

generation capabilities are

leveraged, but with some

inhibiting factors that limit their

effectiveness (e.g. mismatch

between PPC terms and landing

page positioning). Active progress

is being made to eliminate

remaining inhibitors

Self-guided signup, support,

and/or self-administration but

inhibited in some way -- e.g.

overly complex registration

process, complex activation.

Active progress is being made to

eliminate remaining inhibitors.

Direct Sales, indirect channels,

telesales, but with ineffective

processes for lead qualification

and routing of leads to "best

qualified" channel. Provider is

actively working to train sales and

revise processes to improve

effectiveness.

Good executive leadership in

place and committed to drive

change and improve business

performance by driving

improvements in accordance with

the "key success factors".

Transition Phase -

Focused on Initial

Change

1

(Ineffective)

Provider is offering the exact

same service offering as other

providers (perhaps based on third-

party technologies) with no

opportunity for true differentiation,

resulting in a Red Ocean in which

the only remaining competetive

differentiator is price.

Positioning is completely product

and feature centric. Positioning is

effective only for customers who

already know what they need and

are already familiar with the

specific application domain.

Typically characterized by

uncompetitive pricing, minimum

contract terms, minimum # of

users, confusing pricing, too many

tiers of service, multiple tiers

instead of "add-on" options.

Customers are unable to find

offering, presentation is

confusing, no online self-

subscription is available.

No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other

demand generation activities (e.g.

Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not

leverage the web-site.

No self-signup capability, direct

sales interaction required. No

offering self-administration.

Direct sales only. No pro-active

lead qualification. No customer

segmentation by size or industry.

Characterized by tendancy to

focus too far up-market. Long

sales cycles. Lack of "solution

specialist" capability results in

inability to overcome common ob

Ad-hoc organizational and

departmental behaviors with a

lack of internal alignment towards

achieving a common vision or

business objectives.

Product-Dependent

Focus & Ad-Hoc

Behavior

Mural's SaaS Key Success Factors ©

2 + 6 m.

Level

Competitive

Differentiation Messaging & Positioning Packaging & Pricing Web-Driven Demand Generation

Online Customer

Experience

Direct/Indirect Sales

Process

Organizational

Effectiveness Focus & Behavior

5

(Optimized)

Provider has created true Blue

Ocean (aka uncontested market

space) by differentiating along a

unique axis that reaches beyond

current market boundaries and

existing demand

Vertical (e.g. Real Estate),

Horizontal specialization (e.g.

Finance), or other micro-market

specific positioning. User focus

groups or surveys are pro-actively

used to incorporate customer

feedback into product life-cycle.

Micro-market specific

packaging/bundling of service

with vertically focused add-ons.

Market research used to

understand customer price-point

sensitivities.

Micro-market sales sites for

specific vertical markets (e.g. real-

estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO

and pro-active analysis of web-

analytics

Micro-market specific demand

generation campaigns with

integration across all forms of

demand generation (e.g. PPC,

Banner Ads, email, direct mail,

print)

Integrated up-sell and cross-sell

activities into customer "control

panel". Pro-active and ongoing

customer feedback management

(surveys of customer panels by

segment to assess overall

customer experience, satisfaction,

and future needs).

Vertical or micro-market focused

channel partners with lead flow

integrated into micro-marketing

campaigns. Channel partner

branded sales sites. Integration of

channel partner into knowledge

base, live chat, etc.

Organization is designed and

internally aligned for change.

Specific processes for continuous

improvement. Healthy balance of

management (stability) and

leadership (fostering change).

Target Market

Focused w/

Continuous

Improvement

4

(Competitive)

Provider has differentiated with a

vertical market focus with vertical

(or micro-market) specific add-on

capabilities/features.

Best Practice positioning based

on a well-defined messaging &

position framework (see

template). Customer centric

positioning that blends customer-

benefit as the solution for the

customer pain point/problem.

Some type of unique

differentiation of packaging or

pricing that sets the provider apart

of the reset of the pack.

Differentiated sub-sites and/or

landing pages aligned with best-

practice positioning of value

proposition according to

messaging & positioning

framework

Demand generation campaigns

drive to a specific sub-site or

landing page. All campaign

activities are well coordinated and

integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO

campaign management with

periodic (e.g. bi-weekly)

refinement.

Integrated online knowledge-base

and live-chat for both sales

support and post-sales support.

Pro-active email communication

during first 30-60 days provides

training, tips, tricks, etc.

Integrated lead/opportunity flow

for channel partners. Mature

process for lead qualification and

routing of leads. Customer

segmentation and qualification

"drives" the opportunity

management. Willing to "walk

away" from bad opportunities.

Strong executive sponsorship for

improving existing offerings and

adding new value-added service

offerings. Proven organizational

agility and rapid time-to-market in

response to competitive threats.

Transition Phase -

Focused on

Competitive

Differentiation &

Discrete

Improvements

3

(Predictable)

Provider has differentiated from

the competition by bundling

additional services or capabilities

not offered by the competition.

Customer centric positioning with

Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere

access), then supporting benefits

points, then features as

appropriate. Consistent

application of messaging

throughout ALL collateral.

Small number (2-3) of different

customer/user "plans" that align

correctly with end-user or

customer personas. Value

differentiation between different

price plans is clear and

significant.

Best-practice site that allows

customers to 1) Search; 2) Find;

3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial

where possible); 5) Make the

buying decision; 6) Buy; 7)

Activate. Web-site is the focal

point of the business.

Makes use of pro-active

PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand

generation activities lead to one

place -- the web-site.

Self-guided sales experience, self-

admin capabilities, no barriers to

sale via web, or phone. Easy

signup and activation.

Pro-active management of direct

sales, inside sales, and channel

partners. Focus on customer

segmentation and lead

qualification. Pro-active training.

Overlay sales team with deep

solution expertise supports all

channels.

Organizational alignment around

business objectives and customer

needs. Organizational ability to

repeatedly follow a relatively short

and defined life-cycle for the

successful introduction of new or

revised product offerings.

End-Customer

Focused & Service-

Driven

2

(Inhibited)

Provider's offering is functionaly

equivalent to that of other

providers, resulting in a "my

feature X beats your feature X"

competitive differentiation tactic,

but ultimately resulting in a price-

competitive sale.

Still product and feature centric

positioning with progress towards

customer-centric benefits

positioning. Typically a lack of

consistent application of

messaging across all channels

and collateral.

Competitive pricing and correct

packaging, but actively working to

eliminate other inhibitors (e.g.

contract minimums).

Customers can search, find, and

buy. Provider is actively working

to ensure that all of the

information required to make a

successful buying decision is on

the site and correctly presented,

eliminating any final inhibitors to

selling.

PPC/SEO and other demand

generation capabilities are

leveraged, but with some

inhibiting factors that limit their

effectiveness (e.g. mismatch

between PPC terms and landing

page positioning). Active progress

is being made to eliminate

remaining inhibitors

Self-guided signup, support,

and/or self-administration but

inhibited in some way -- e.g.

overly complex registration

process, complex activation.

Active progress is being made to

eliminate remaining inhibitors.

Direct Sales, indirect channels,

telesales, but with ineffective

processes for lead qualification

and routing of leads to "best

qualified" channel. Provider is

actively working to train sales and

revise processes to improve

effectiveness.

Good executive leadership in

place and committed to drive

change and improve business

performance by driving

improvements in accordance with

the "key success factors".

Transition Phase -

Focused on Initial

Change

1

(Ineffective)

Provider is offering the exact

same service offering as other

providers (perhaps based on third-

party technologies) with no

opportunity for true differentiation,

resulting in a Red Ocean in which

the only remaining competetive

differentiator is price.

Positioning is completely product

and feature centric. Positioning is

effective only for customers who

already know what they need and

are already familiar with the

specific application domain.

Typically characterized by

uncompetitive pricing, minimum

contract terms, minimum # of

users, confusing pricing, too many

tiers of service, multiple tiers

instead of "add-on" options.

Customers are unable to find

offering, presentation is

confusing, no online self-

subscription is available.

No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other

demand generation activities (e.g.

Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not

leverage the web-site.

No self-signup capability, direct

sales interaction required. No

offering self-administration.

Direct sales only. No pro-active

lead qualification. No customer

segmentation by size or industry.

Characterized by tendancy to

focus too far up-market. Long

sales cycles. Lack of "solution

specialist" capability results in

inability to overcome common ob

Ad-hoc organizational and

departmental behaviors with a

lack of internal alignment towards

achieving a common vision or

business objectives.

Product-Dependent

Focus & Ad-Hoc

Behavior

Mural's SaaS Key Success Factors ©

3 + 12 m.

1. Take the Mural KSFs and refine them based on the type of provider (pure play, hosters, telcos) and specific environment.

2. Implement changes against each KSF based on the provider’s current target customer (SMB, Enterprise, Consumer) and product portfolio.

3. Evaluate product additions and updates to fill gaps and enhance differentiation in the market.

4. Translate lessons-learned from the current target customer to alternate markets/customers and channels.

Level

Competitive

Differentiation Messaging & Positioning Packaging & Pricing Web-Driven Demand Generation

Online Customer

Experience

Direct/Indirect Sales

Process

Organizational

Effectiveness Focus & Behavior

5

(Optimized)

Provider has created true Blue

Ocean (aka uncontested market

space) by differentiating along a

unique axis that reaches beyond

current market boundaries and

existing demand

Vertical (e.g. Real Estate),

Horizontal specialization (e.g.

Finance), or other micro-market

specific positioning. User focus

groups or surveys are pro-actively

used to incorporate customer

feedback into product life-cycle.

Micro-market specific

packaging/bundling of service

with vertically focused add-ons.

Market research used to

understand customer price-point

sensitivities.

Micro-market sales sites for

specific vertical markets (e.g. real-

estate). Fully integrated PPC/SEO

and pro-active analysis of web-

analytics

Micro-market specific demand

generation campaigns with

integration across all forms of

demand generation (e.g. PPC,

Banner Ads, email, direct mail,

print)

Integrated up-sell and cross-sell

activities into customer "control

panel". Pro-active and ongoing

customer feedback management

(surveys of customer panels by

segment to assess overall

customer experience, satisfaction,

and future needs).

Vertical or micro-market focused

channel partners with lead flow

integrated into micro-marketing

campaigns. Channel partner

branded sales sites. Integration of

channel partner into knowledge

base, live chat, etc.

Organization is designed and

internally aligned for change.

Specific processes for continuous

improvement. Healthy balance of

management (stability) and

leadership (fostering change).

Target Market

Focused w/

Continuous

Improvement

4

(Competitive)

Provider has differentiated with a

vertical market focus with vertical

(or micro-market) specific add-on

capabilities/features.

Best Practice positioning based

on a well-defined messaging &

position framework (see

template). Customer centric

positioning that blends customer-

benefit as the solution for the

customer pain point/problem.

Some type of unique

differentiation of packaging or

pricing that sets the provider apart

of the reset of the pack.

Differentiated sub-sites and/or

landing pages aligned with best-

practice positioning of value

proposition according to

messaging & positioning

framework

Demand generation campaigns

drive to a specific sub-site or

landing page. All campaign

activities are well coordinated and

integrated. Pro-active PPC/SEO

campaign management with

periodic (e.g. bi-weekly)

refinement.

Integrated online knowledge-base

and live-chat for both sales

support and post-sales support.

Pro-active email communication

during first 30-60 days provides

training, tips, tricks, etc.

Integrated lead/opportunity flow

for channel partners. Mature

process for lead qualification and

routing of leads. Customer

segmentation and qualification

"drives" the opportunity

management. Willing to "walk

away" from bad opportunities.

Strong executive sponsorship for

improving existing offerings and

adding new value-added service

offerings. Proven organizational

agility and rapid time-to-market in

response to competitive threats.

Transition Phase -

Focused on

Competitive

Differentiation &

Discrete

Improvements

3

(Predictable)

Provider has differentiated from

the competition by bundling

additional services or capabilities

not offered by the competition.

Customer centric positioning with

Benefits (e.g. Anytime, Anywhere

access), then supporting benefits

points, then features as

appropriate. Consistent

application of messaging

throughout ALL collateral.

Small number (2-3) of different

customer/user "plans" that align

correctly with end-user or

customer personas. Value

differentiation between different

price plans is clear and

significant.

Best-practice site that allows

customers to 1) Search; 2) Find;

3) Self Qualify; 4) Try (Free Trial

where possible); 5) Make the

buying decision; 6) Buy; 7)

Activate. Web-site is the focal

point of the business.

Makes use of pro-active

PPC/SEO campaigns. All demand

generation activities lead to one

place -- the web-site.

Self-guided sales experience, self-

admin capabilities, no barriers to

sale via web, or phone. Easy

signup and activation.

Pro-active management of direct

sales, inside sales, and channel

partners. Focus on customer

segmentation and lead

qualification. Pro-active training.

Overlay sales team with deep

solution expertise supports all

channels.

Organizational alignment around

business objectives and customer

needs. Organizational ability to

repeatedly follow a relatively short

and defined life-cycle for the

successful introduction of new or

revised product offerings.

End-Customer

Focused & Service-

Driven

2

(Inhibited)

Provider's offering is functionaly

equivalent to that of other

providers, resulting in a "my

feature X beats your feature X"

competitive differentiation tactic,

but ultimately resulting in a price-

competitive sale.

Still product and feature centric

positioning with progress towards

customer-centric benefits

positioning. Typically a lack of

consistent application of

messaging across all channels

and collateral.

Competitive pricing and correct

packaging, but actively working to

eliminate other inhibitors (e.g.

contract minimums).

Customers can search, find, and

buy. Provider is actively working

to ensure that all of the

information required to make a

successful buying decision is on

the site and correctly presented,

eliminating any final inhibitors to

selling.

PPC/SEO and other demand

generation capabilities are

leveraged, but with some

inhibiting factors that limit their

effectiveness (e.g. mismatch

between PPC terms and landing

page positioning). Active progress

is being made to eliminate

remaining inhibitors

Self-guided signup, support,

and/or self-administration but

inhibited in some way -- e.g.

overly complex registration

process, complex activation.

Active progress is being made to

eliminate remaining inhibitors.

Direct Sales, indirect channels,

telesales, but with ineffective

processes for lead qualification

and routing of leads to "best

qualified" channel. Provider is

actively working to train sales and

revise processes to improve

effectiveness.

Good executive leadership in

place and committed to drive

change and improve business

performance by driving

improvements in accordance with

the "key success factors".

Transition Phase -

Focused on Initial

Change

1

(Ineffective)

Provider is offering the exact

same service offering as other

providers (perhaps based on third-

party technologies) with no

opportunity for true differentiation,

resulting in a Red Ocean in which

the only remaining competetive

differentiator is price.

Positioning is completely product

and feature centric. Positioning is

effective only for customers who

already know what they need and

are already familiar with the

specific application domain.

Typically characterized by

uncompetitive pricing, minimum

contract terms, minimum # of

users, confusing pricing, too many

tiers of service, multiple tiers

instead of "add-on" options.

Customers are unable to find

offering, presentation is

confusing, no online self-

subscription is available.

No PPC/SEO campaigns. Other

demand generation activities (e.g.

Print ads, direct mail, etc) do not

leverage the web-site.

No self-signup capability, direct

sales interaction required. No

offering self-administration.

Direct sales only. No pro-active

lead qualification. No customer

segmentation by size or industry.

Characterized by tendancy to

focus too far up-market. Long

sales cycles. Lack of "solution

specialist" capability results in

inability to overcome common ob

Ad-hoc organizational and

departmental behaviors with a

lack of internal alignment towards

achieving a common vision or

business objectives.

Product-Dependent

Focus & Ad-Hoc

Behavior

Mural's SaaS Key Success Factors ©

1 BDS

When done: time to party

David EdniePh: +33 676 600 925 (FR)Ph: +61 415 94 51 57 (AUS)Email: david@value-migration.com

Adrian SandersPh: +33 (650) 95 28 87Email: adrian@value-migration.comWebsite: www.value-migration.com

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